By Chance
by FirelightFlower
Summary: Iruka is sent on a mission to escort a woman to the Konoha Village Graveyard. However, could this woman prove to be someone from his past who will change his life forever? Better summary inside. [IrukaOC] Rated M for violence and lemon later on.
1. Couldn't Believe His Eyes

**Summary**: Iruka Umino finds himself reminiscing of life before the Kyuubi had attacked Konoha. He recalls a girl who lived next door to him before his family had been slaughtered, and he remembered being quite good friends with the girl. The next thing he knows, Iruka is summoned by the Fifth Hokage to go on a seemingly simple enough mission: to escort a traveler from a distant land to the Konoha Village's graveyard to visit some resting relatives. But when he arrives at the Hokage's office, he finds a young woman there, a familiar woman. Could this be the girl from Iruka's past? Read and find out! (Iruka/OC; rated M for graphic violence, action, strong lanugage, and lemon all later on.)

**Disclaimer:** I - sadly, might I add - do not own Naruto. But, if I did... ohhhh yesssss, oh the possibilities! scheming face

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**'By Chance'**

Chapter 1: Couldn't Believe His Eyes**  
**  
A light, autumnal breeze graced the streets of Konoha during late morning one day in October as Iruka Umino sat upon a stool of Ichiraku's Ramen Bar. As he stirred the noodles of his miso ramen dish, he sighed.

Now, if any person were to walk past Ichiraku's at that given moment as Iruka sighed, they would have maybe thought, 'Man, something must be bugging him.' Indeed, something was bugging him, a very important something: the imminent sixteenth anniversary of his family's slaughter; the sixteenth anniversary when all of Konoha itself took a turn for the worst. In just a few short days, it would be sixteen years since the Fourth Hokage sealed the Kyuubi within Iruka's own former pupil, Naruto Uzumaki.

Yes, it was true: the Kyuubi - in all physical senses, of course - was gone, but the pain of losing his entire family was still very much alive in Iruka. The taunting thoughts of, _'Why wasn't I killed, too?_' haunted his thoughts every so often, despite his efforts to quell such guilt. He was lucky to be alive, even he had to admit. Another thing he had to admit (much to his utter disdain) was that he, too, though blaming himself for surviving, he at one time blamed his treasured pupil Naruto for the demise of his family. This thought was something Iruka beat himself up over most, even though Naruto did not seem to mind the blame; after all, most everyone else did not have a problem placing the blame upon his shoulders.

The breeze shifted, and so did Iruka's thoughts. His mind wandered into parts of his memory that he had not ventured to in the longest of times. He thought of his family life before the Nine Tailed Fox had cast a shadow of destruction upon the Hidden Leaf Village. Hey remembered his mother and father, brothers, sisters, cousins, aunts, uncles; he recalled the way his grandparents would come over every Sunday evening for supper and to share stories of their pasts. However, somewhere in the deepest recesses of his mind, someone else stood out among the rest. Someone... special - well, the person seemed special, according to his memory.

The person was his age, and from what he recalled, they lived next door. It was a girl, around his age, with a pale face, auburn curls, and - though his memory of her was quite clouded - he remembered pale grey eyes. '_So...familiar,_' Iruka mused, still absent-mindedly twirling the noodles of his ramen with his chopsticks. And then, without any warning what-so-ever, Iruka was consumed in a flashback:

-Flashback Start-

_"Iruka!" squealed a young girl no older than ten years old as she hopped up from her seat in the grass, looking wildly around. "Why did you do that?" she inquired of him as she shook a small green lizard from her curly auburn locks. A reddish color was rising in her pale face, and her grey eyes were wide._

_Standing behind the girl, Iruka snickered. "I thought it'd be funny, Emi!" he stated, grinning as she turned around to glare at him before stomping off into her house. "A, c'mon, Emiko! It was just a joke! Please forgive me?" he pleaded as he followed her, stopping just outside of her door, fearing that if he entered her house without permission, Emiko would set her older brother Makoto on him. "Emiko! I swear it was just a joke! I'll never do - !"_

_But what Iruka said he will never do was never found out, because they next thing he knew, he was being pelted with water balloons. "Hey! What the - ?" Iruka stood there, frowning and sopping wet, and facing a rather satisfied Emiko. _

_"Aw, Iruka, I thought it'd be funny!" she said in a mocking tone of voice. She then proceeded to stick her tongue out at her damp friend. Much to Emiko's surprise, Iruka erupted with a fit of giggles, at which she raised an auburn eyebrow._

_"That was a good one, Emi! Really!" he said as he doubled over with laughter, and after a few moments of staring, Emiko descended her front steps with a towel in her hand and joined him in laughter._

_"Here," said Emiko, holding the towel out for Iruka. She smiled serenely when he took it, which caused Iruka to stare._

_"Uh... is something wrong, Emiko?" he asked._

_"No, Iruka, I was just thinking about something, that's all," she replied, the placid smile still plastered on her pale face._

_"And what might that be?"_

_"Well... I was wondering if you'd like to be... my friend."_

_Iruka stared. "Emiko...? I thought we were already friends?"_

_Emiko grinned. "I mean _best_ friend, silly!"_

_"Oh," was all that came from Iruka's mouth. Then he smiled and said, "Okay, best friends 'til the very end!"_

_Emiko, still smiling, agreed and said, "Yes. Best friends until the very end."_

-Flashback End-

"'Best friend'..." he muttered, staring into his bowl of ramen. "Emiko... I wonder where she is now... I believe she moved away... her entire family was slaughtered, too..."

As Iruka still sat at Ichiraku's, his mind swimming with more reveries from his past, he felt a small pat on his shoulder as somone had called his name.

"Iruka?"

He turned around to see Shizune, the Fifth Hokage's (who is more commonly called 'Lady Tsunade') assistant standing there with her head cocked to the side as she looked at him.

"Yes, Shizune?" he asked, fiddling with his chopsticks.

"Iruka, Lady Tsunade wishes to speak with you, she has a mission for you," Shizune announced.

"Alright, then," said Iruka, fishing around in his pockets for some money to leave on the counter. He then got up and followed Shizune to the Fifth's office.

As they arrived, Shizune turned the handle, stepped inside the office, and said, "Lady Tsunade? I found Iruka, here he is."

Iruka followed Shizune into the office and looked around. It was a rather spacious work area. He gazed up at the Fifth's desk and saw her standing there, shuffling through papers. Looking up, she said, "Ah! Iruka, yes, I have a mission for you. I need you to escort this woman to the Konoha Village Graveyard." She motioned to a woman whom Iruka had not seen standing there. The woman had on dark green cargo shorts, a white t-shirt, and in her arms she carried a backpack which held her travel essentials. However, Iruka wasn't interested in what she was wearing, nor what she was carrying in her arms.

As his eyes traveled to her face, his jaw dropped. The woman whom Lady Tsunade had indicated had auburn curls that reached passed her shoulders, a pale face, and... '_The same grey eyes!_'Iruka thought.

He couldn't believe his eyes. Could it be...?

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**A/N:** Hey everyone! Hoped you liked the first chaper! I'm working on chapter 2 at the moment! Reviews are always appreciated, whether they be critiques, suggestions, or even flames! It let's me know it's worth writing because you're willing to spend your precious time reading it. XD

**In the next chapter:** Iruka complies with Tsunade's wishes and sets out on the mission to take this new-comer to the Konoha Village Graveyard. And... her identity is revealed! Iruka learns about what happened in the sixteen years he has not seen her, and with her help he is able to remember more about his family... and about the other promises he made aside from being best friends!


	2. Not Quite Right

**A/N:** Hey everyone! Hope you liked chapter 1, because chapter 2 is ready and raring to go! The mystery woman's identity is revealed and much catching up takes place. Plus, while in the graveyard, something just is not quite right. Is it a coincidence, or is there a deeper meaning?

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Naruto. That high honor belongs to Masashi Kishimoto... lucky man. XD

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Chapter 2: Not Quite Right

"Iruka, are you even paying attention to what I am saying?" Tsunade demanded of Iruka, her patience waring thinner and thinner with each and every syllable she uttered. At the sound of her voice, Iruka's attention immediately became sharper for his own well-being as he murmured an apology.

Tsunade glared at him a moment longer before continuing on. "Iruka, you are to escort Miss Nizuna" - she motioned once again to the woman standing to her left - "to the Konoha Village Graveyard. And I assure you, Miss Nizuna," - here the Fifth Hokage had now direct her words to the woman - "that Iruka is one of our most qualified journeymen chunin, and shall do all that he can to make sure you do not become lost."

The woman bowed slightly and said in a soft voice, "Arigato, Lady Hokage!" and straightened up again.

But Tsunade merely waved her hand and said, "Yes, yes, now off with you two!" and busied herself once more with her paperwork.

-----

Iruka and Miss Nizuna client had set off through the winding streets of Konoha. Grey clouds were looming overhead, and the climate had grown noticeably chillier as they became closer and closer to their destination. The young chunin kept stealing glances at the woman beside him, curious to know if she was the girl from his memories, only sixteen years older.

Sooner than he had expected, Iruka received his answer when she said in the same soft voice from back in the Fifth's office, "You know, I would not have gone to all the trouble of hiring a ninja, but it's been many years since I have been in Konoha, and I know of the current dangers and going-ons of today, so I figured a ninja would ensure my safety."

"Ahh, nothing wrong with that," said Iruka, smiling. '_Okay_,' he thought, as more curiosity dawned inside of him, '_there's still a strong possibility that she's the young girl... Emiko, I believe her name was. Wonder if her name is Emiko as well...?_'

"Ah, thank you for your kindness," she replied, her features now very bright. "I would have very much loved to by now to have known this village like the back of my hand, but, you see, many years ago I was forced to flee from this village in fear of my own life. I feel very much like a coward for leaving everyone behind, but believe me, I did not leave of my own volition."

"Ahh, nothing's wrong with that if it wasn't by your own will," he told her, nodding. "Nothing at all. So, uh, do you have a name - ?" Iruka had begun to ask of her, but Miss Nizuna interrupted him by crying out in a state of odd joy.

"We're here!" She smiled brightly and pointed at the black cast-iron gates that lead into the grounds where so many of Konoha's citizens called their eternal resting place. Above the gate, cast-iron letters formed the words '**Konoha Village Cemetary**' in an arced format. Behind the gates was a sea of stony grey headstones with the occasional, and more elaborate, stones of white.

"Miss Nizuna -" Iruka began, only to find himself interrupted once more.

"Please, call me Emiko!" she replied, slipping through the gate and making her way down the thousands of rows of headstones, searching for her family's name.

"Okay, Emiko, do you need any help with finding your relatives' graves?" he inquired, watching her now bob in and out of headstones, the frown now planted on her face growing bigger; her brow was lined with a medley of concentration, frustration, and what seemed to be something of an unassailable determination.

"Nizuna, Nizuna, Nizuna...?"

"Miss Emiko?" Iruka continued to follow and watch her as she trudged through more rows.

"Yes?" Emiko asked, now examining a particularly weather-beaten stone while shaking her head.

"I think I, uh, found them." And at this declaration, Emiko straightened up, her face looking much brighter as she bounded her way to where Iruka was pointing at a series of glossy white headstones.

"Aha," she whispered, bending over while nodding. Iruka had indeed found her relatives. "This is my brother's grave, and I expect that the other white stones in the row are the rest of them." Emiko kneeled down, opened her backpack, and extracted a flower whiter than the stone itself and rested it upon the grave. "My dear Makoto... so many years it has been..."

Iruka nodded and stepped back to give Emiko her privacy. He looked down the rest of the row only to find about fifty - give or take a few - similar glossy white tombstones and sighed. '_I wonder if her whole family was destroyed as well,_' he mused, contemplating on asking Emiko if it would be alright if he visited a few graves himself, or save it for another time.

After a half-hours time, Iruka watched as Emiko stood up and looking around for him, squinting to see how far away he was. Her lips went from a frown to a smile as she spotted him, and she called out, "Ah, I see you have stayed!" as she made her way back to him.

As Emiko approached him, Iruka saw that her eyes were red and rather puffy, from crying no doubt. Streaks where tears had trailed were etched in her her pale face, but still she smiled. "Yes, I stayed. The mission isn't complete until I deliver you safe and sound back to the Hokage's office," Iruka said, but she didn't seem to hear a word of it.

"Is there anyone you wish to visit?" she asked, staring up at him inquisitively. Iruka felt a jolt of relief dance in his the pit of his stomach; he felt as if she had somehow entered his mind and read it as if it were a favorite book of hers.

"A-actually," Iruka said, quite taken aback, "there is." And with that, Iruka made a bee-line for a group of stormy grey headstones just three rows away. He decided to stop at his mother's grave first to pay his respects. Meanwhile, Emiko took the liberty of peering over his shoulder at the name, and then made her way down the rest of the row, her brow once again lined with concentration. After twenty minutes' time, Iruka stood up, bowed with reverence, and found that his companion was bent over his cousin Shinaba's grave.

Hearing Iruka's footsteps behind her, Emiko shot up and turned around, looking utterly embarassed.

"I'm sorry! I'm sorry! So sorry!" she pleaded desperately. "It's just - well the family name was so... familiar, I was just so curious, and I -!" But it was Iruka's turn to cut her off.

"It's okay, Miss Nizuna," he reassured her, chuckling.

"Oh... thank you!" she said as she bent over the grave once more. "The family name... Umino," Emiko looked back up at Iruka, her eyes wide with what seemed to him to be hope, and proceeded to ask, "Umino... I made a pact with a boy of the Umino clan. He would be around my age - twenty-five, almost twenty-six - with dark hair and eyes. Do you know if he survived or not?"

Iruka opened his mouth to answer, but Emiko said eagerly, "I made him a promise the day before the Nine Tailed Fox Demon had attacked this village. I promised to protect him with my life! And he promised the same for me - but that was sixteen years ago, and we were only about ten, and I don't know if such a promise counted then, being so young," and here her voice trailed off for a moment. She looked back up at Iruka. "I would feel... I don't know how to explain it, the feeling's quite ineffable, but... if he died, that means that promise was broken."

Iruka was beside himself. Someone from his past had survived! '_So I made other promises with her other than just being best friends, huh?_' he mused as he found himself grinning at her. Emiko's expression changed from one of questioning to one of alarm as he grinned down at her.

"What? What is it? Is something wrong?" she asked, the eagerness still very much alive in her voice.

Iruka shook his head and chuckled. "No, no," he reassured her. "No, he's alive, and very well. He is, at the moment inexplicably happy, I can tell you that much."

Emiko gave him a peculiar look as if to say, "_What are you talking about?_" but her eyes soon became wide and she exclaimed, "You're him? The Umino boy I made the pact with?" Her eyes, though very pale, shone with a brightness of hope as she clasped her hands together, nodding for him to continue.

Iruka nodded. "Yes, yes I am -" he was about to say, but stopped. He noticed she was no longer carrying her backpack. "Where's your backpack?" he asked. Emiko looked down at her arms and jumped slightly with surprise.

"I must've left it at one of the graves!" she told him, making her way back over to the glossy white stones. Iruka followed her.

"Aha!" came Emiko's voice, announcing that she had found her bag; however, this announcement fell on deaf ears for Iruka had not heard her. He was stopped at her brother Makoto's grave, not looking at the stone, but the soil surrounding it. It looked fresh, as if Makoto was layed to rest the very day before. Iruka looked at the surrounding graves and saw that their soil was just as Makoto's was: fresh.

Iruka was suddenly filled with the notion that something was not quite right. "Strange," he muttered, stooping down to feel the soil beneath his fingers. "It's... fresh! I'll definitely have to include this in my report to the Hokage."

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**A/N:** This one in particular took me just about _forever_ to write, because as I was proof-reading it, I discovered I omitted something very important to the plot. Silly, silly me. This is what I get for multitasking! Aaaaaanyways… I hope you liked chapter 2! XD Chapter 3 is currently in the writing process, so get ready!

**In the next chapter:** Iruka and Emiko make their way back to Tsunade's office so Iruka can report on the mission... and the fresh soil! Is a powerful evil, or just a figment of Iruka's imagination? You'll have to wait for chapter 3 to find out! Also, much catching up will take place in this chapter. XD


	3. Permanently

**A/N:** Hiya! I know, I know: I haven't updated this in forever! I think I was going on just about over a week. xx Anywho, I'm baaaaaack! And I really hope you liked last chapter, because chapter 3 is just about ready to start!

**Disclaimer:** Ehh... I don't own Naruto. If I did, would I be writing a fanfic about it? Hm... I probably would. XD But I definitely don't own Naruto. That pleasure solely belongs to the ever-talented Masashi Kishimoto.

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Chapter 3: Permanently

Iruka exited the graveyard with Emiko humming contently beside him as they made their way back to Tsunade's office. By the happiness in Emiko's humming tune, he could tell that she was happy to not have broken her promise she had made with him. _'Geez... I vaguely remember much from way back then. I certainly hope she remembers more... I mean, she must remember more! Right? She came here after all..._'

Emiko dragged Iruka away from his thoughts by posing a question, "So, will reporting this mission to the Hokage take long?"

Iruka stole a side-glance at Emiko before shrugging his shoulders. "Dunno, really. I don't think this particular mission will take long to make a report on, but it all depends on the kinds of questions Lady Tsunade asks." This answer seemed to satisfy her, for Emiko continued her humming.

However, Iruka didn't believe his answer, not even for a second. Back at the series of Nizuna clan graves, the soil was fresh, as if the bodies of his companion's loved ones were buried the day before. But he knew full well that those graves were just about sixteen years old. 'Maybe it is just a coincidence? Maybe... maybe it was just the light, or lack thereof, rather? Ah, well, Lady Tsunade will have to decide whether or not to investigate it further.'

---

The two were a mere fifty-yards from the building which contained the Hokage's office when Emiko spoke up once more.

"Err, uh, Iruka?"

"Yes?" he replied, his mind still dwelling upon the grave soil.

"Well, I was thinking that after you gave your report to the Lady Hokage, that maybe we - ?" But Emiko was cut off by an approaching man. Iruka saw it was Genma, a fellow shinobi, but of the jounin rank.

"Ah, Iruka, just the man I wanted to see," Genma said, peering right over Iruka's shoulder at Emiko with a grin of mixed pleasure and curiosity on his face and winked. "Anyway," he turned to look Iruka in the face, "Shizune sent me to look for you. She wanted me to tell you that it'd be best to hold off on delivering your mission report, should you finish your mission early. And seeing as you're finished, then... well, hold off."

Iruka raised an eyebrow as to question Genma's words. "Uh, Genma, do you have any idea _why_ Shizune said that?"

Genma merely chuckled. "Well, about twenty minutes ago, I was hanging around the bulletin board in the entrance hallway, and I saw Jiraiya come in, and... well, you know how _he_ can be. Anyway, about five minutes ago, I saw Shizune leaving the Fifth's office, and she looked rather harried. That's when she told me to come find you and tell you to hold off. I take it Jiraiya infuriated the Fifth."

Sighing, Iruka shook his head, chuckling lightly at the thought of Tsunade chasing Jiraiya around her office while hurling various objects at his white-maned head. "Thanks for the heads up, Genma."

"Anytime. Say, who's your friend here?" Genma was peering at Emiko over Iruka's shoulder once again.

"I'm Emiko Nizuna and -" Emiko began, smiling, but was cut off by Iruka.

"She's the client of the mission I've just completed," he said, grabbing Emiko by the wrist, taking her by surprise. Her eyes shone with inquiry. "Must be on our way to the Hokage's office now! See you, Genma!" And with that, Iruka proceeded to pull Emiko inside. He knew how Genma was with women, and he knew Emiko would only be in town for a short time as it was, so no need to get either of their hopes up.

"He seemed nice," Emiko said softly as the door shut behind them.

"Yeah, yeah, nice," Iruka said, now climbing the flight of stairs that led to the floor of the Hokage's office. "We'll just wait outside Lady Tsunade's office until things let up, and I'll make the report -"

Iruka's words, however, were drowned out by very loud, angry screams belonging to no one other than Tsunade.

"IF I'VE TOLD YOU ONCE, THEN I SURE AS HELL HAVE TOLD YOU ONE HUNDRED - NO, POSSIBLY ONE MILLION - TIMES BEFORE, NO, NO, NO, NO, NO! DAMNIT, JIRAIYA!" The door to her office opened just enough for Shizune to slip through, and she looked drained of color.

"Ah! Iruka!" Shizune cried, surprised to see him back so soon.

"Genma told me Jiraiya came for a 'visit'," Iruka said.

Shizune sighed exasperatedly and nodded. "Yes, he's here, which explains the yells. I have no idea as to how long THAT could take, so you might want to leave, got get cleaned up, get some food, something. I'll send for you as soon as the smoke has cleared, okay?"

Iruka nodded. "Thanks, Shizune," he said, and turned to Emiko as the Fifth's assistant re-entered the noisy office once more. "Up for a bite to eat? My treat."

Emiko looked delighted and agreed to getting some food. "Sounds good to me!"

---

"Fo," Iruka began, his mouth stuffed with ramen, "Why exfactfee dif foo leeb?"

Emiko swalled her own large mouthful of the hot, wheat noodles before responding. "Well, my auntie came and took me away after the funeral. She was my mother's best friend. She claimed that my mother would have done the same, were she in her situation. We traveled alot, to the Sand village, Grass village... many of the surrounding lands of this village."

"Ah." Iruka swallowed and posed another question. "And, did you ever complete your academy training?"

Emiko's eyes fell. "N-n... no. You see, I believed that if I continued to train like at the academy, that it would bring back memories. Particularly bad ones, of shinobi and kunoichi leaving on missions to fight and some never to return. My auntie became my sensei, and she taught me the medical ninjutsu she picked up over the years, which I loved because I felt comfortable knowing that my efforts were going towards healing, not hurting. Mind you, I don't think she's - nor I - am as skilled as the Legendary Lady Tsunade."

"Yes, Lady Tsunade has saved many lives with her knowledge of medical ninjutsu. She's taken on two former students of mine as apprentices, and they seem to be faring well."

"Former students?" Emiko looked intruiged. "Are you a teacher? At the academy?"

"Yes. It's one of the only joys in my life, teaching" he replied, nodding while absorbing another mouthful of warm noodles.

For about two hours they chatted of those sixteen years they'd missed of each other. They talked of people they have met, lessons they learned, reminisced on the past, recalling better, more peaceful days. Realizing how much time had flown by after glancing slightly at the clock, Iruka stood up and said, "Well, we'd best get going, then. Gotta give that report to Lady Tsunade."

But Emiko shook her head. "I'm afraid I can't go with you to give the report."

Iruka was confused. Didn't she need to come so Tsunade could work out a way for her to be escorted home?

"Why not?" he asked, his countenance bearing a confused expression.

"Because, I have to look for a place to stay," was Emiko's reply.

"A place to stay, eh? Well, there are some good hotels in Konoha, the best of the best, and I'm sure they'll - "

"No, Iruka, not a hotel." Emiko stood up as well, reaching a hand into a compartment of her bag and pulled out enough money to pay for both their meals. "I mean like an apartment. And I also need to find a place of employment."

Iruka was now on the brink of complete bewilderment. "What do you mean, Emiko?"

Emiko looked away to adjust the straps of her backpack. Upon placing it on her shoulders, she looked up at him, a faint smile playing at her lips. "What I'm saying, Iruka, is that I'm sick of moving place to place, sick of never having a place to call home, sick of all the week-span stays at hotels and hostels and inns. I'm planning on making Konoha my home again. _Permanently_."

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**A/N:** Hey there! Hope you liked chapter 3, because chapter 4 is in the writing process. I'm also thinking of working on a NaruSaku oneshot song fic, because most of my chapter 4 stuff for **'By Chance'** is on the other computer in the house, so I'll open it up on word there. Right now my brother's using the computer with chapter 4 on it, so I'll work on the NaruSaku one. The working title is **'Nineteen'**, which is the name of the song, but I'm not sure at the moment if it will change.

**In the next chapter: **Iruka delivers his mission report to Tsunade, putting major emphasis on the fresh soil, but does Tsunade take the fresh soil as a coincidence… or does she perceive it to be something more? Also Emiko ends up finding an apartment _and_ a job – both of which are close to our leading man!


	4. Mission Reports & New Neighbors

**A/N:** Hello! Long time, no update. Sorry about that. Things got UBERCRAZY around here, but now I'm finally able to update! XD Anyway, here's the 4th chapter. It's called 'Mission Reports & New Neighbors'. I had a hard time coming up with a chapter title, but then for some unknown reason, this simple title came to me and I just found it brilliant. Here it is!

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Naruto. If I did, Kakashi's face would no longer be a mystery. XD

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Chapter 4: Mission Reports & New Neighbors

"P-permanently?" Iruka was completely shocked, to say the least. In a matter of less than twenty-four hours, he had recalled his childhood and his childhood best friend (whom he had not seen in a good _sixteen years_), was summoned to take a mission to escort said best friend to the Konoha Graveyard, and then reunited with said best friend over a bowl of ramen at Ichiraku's. Now she was planning on making Konoha her _permanent home_?

Though he was thoroughly overjoyed, this was all too much for Iruka to grasp a hold of on such short notice.

"Yes, permanently. And I need to get a job as well." Emiko made to pick up her bag and slung it over her shoulder lazily. "How's about we meet up again later? After you're done your report giving and all, I mean?"

"Sounds good to me," Iruka replied, and the two headed off into their respective opposite directions.

---------

Iruka was standing across from Tsunade, who had her back to him as she watched the village from her office window; her arms were crossed across her chest and she was nodding, imbibing the words of his report.

"Thank you very much, Iruka," she said, under the impression that he was finished.

"Um, Lady Tsunade?" Iruka asked, now wringing his hands quite nervously. He just _had_ to tell her about the fresh soil! It could have been the graveyard keeper just making things look nice; but what if it were the doings of a greater force?

"Yes, Iruka?"

"Well," he began, "when Miss Nizuna and I were preparing to leave, I noticed she had forgotten to grab her bag. So we went back to the row of Nizuna graves, and I noticed something rather… _odd_."

"'Odd', you say?" Tsunade had now turned around to face him, a quizzical expression planted on her face.

He nodded, and continued, "Well, you see, I noticed it first on the grave of Miss Nizuna's brother, Makoto. His grave had fresh soil over top of it, as if he had been buried yesterday. However… however, this can't be the case, because Miss Nizuna's entire family was killed in the Kyuubi massacre, making those graves a good sixteen years old."

"Ahh," was all Tsunade offered as a reply after a few moments of silence, causing Iruka to become quite impatient.

"Surely the graveyard should be monitored more carefully? In case anyone could be using _certain jutsu_?" he suggested, almost pleading with her now.

"Well, Iruka, if you're implying that a ninja is using the _Kuchiyose: Edo Tensei_, the Impure World Resurrection jutsu, then, yes that certainly is one possibility," said Tsunade, now sitting down behind her desk and scribbling furiously on a sheet of paper.

"That is what I'm implying," he answered, nodding. "I mean, it is possible, yes, for it happened during the battle of the Sandaime Hokage and Orochimaru just a few years ago."

"Yes, yes," Tsunade muttered, her pen still flying from side to side on the paper. "Well, Iruka," she said, looking up, "we will have more security for the graveyard, a few chunin scattered about here and there."

Iruka gasped. "Just a _few chunin_ scattered about? A few chunin certainly would be no match for Orochimaru – or even his cronies! Why not a few jounin?" he protested, feeling that a few chunin was not enough security.

"Because, Iruka," Tsunade said, now standing up and leaning across her desk over to him, "there is still the possibility that it was just the grave-keeper sprucing things up! We can't cause too big a scene, or else all of Konoha will be in a state of panic!"

Iruka understood. "Yes, Lady Tsunade, I suppose you are right."

"Damn straight I'm right, Iruka, and dare never to forget that." Tsunade straightened up, scooped up her papers, and began to file them in a filing cabinet next to the desk. "Now, I suggest you go home, wash up, get some food in you, and rest. If things are as you believe, we will contact you when we know more, Iruka, seeing as you noticed it first."

"Yes, Lady Tsunade." And with that, Iruka left.

----------

With his hands shoved deep into the pockets of his black pants, Iruka trudged home to his apartment, hoping to get a little rest in before work tomorrow. As his apartment came into sight, he noticed something had changed, but he wasn't sure exactly what had changed. And then he saw it.

The for sale sign that had been hammered into the lawn of the apartment next to his nearly four months ago had been removed. '_Looks like someone finally purchased it. Well, I hope the new neighbors are decent,'_ he thought, reaching his own apartment and digging around in the pockets of his vest for his key.

The key was in the keyhole for a fraction of a second when he heard a shout from next door, and the voice sounded oddly familiar – and it was female.

"Izumo! Please be careful with that box! It's clearly marked 'fragile' for a reason!"

"Troublesome…." That time it was a voice Iruka knew only all to well.

Turning, Iruka saw fellow chunin Izumo Kamizuki, Kotetsu Hagane, and Shikamaru Nara carrying boxes into the apartment door across from his own, and he saw that a female around his own height balancing two boxes bringing up the read. A sea of auburn curls could be seen peeking around and over top the boxes in her arms.

"Emiko?" Iruka stared at her for a moment, revelation flooding over him. "Did you purchase that house?"

A pale face with pale grey eyes to match peered around the boxes. The eyes widened, telling him that she was grinning. "Iruka!" she said, delight lining her voice. "Yes, yes I did purchase this house. Only after securing a job, of course." She set the boxes down on the tiny square sidewalk block that separated their front stoops and pulled a long white coat out of the top box.

"A healer?" Iruka asked, recognizing the coat to be one from the Konoha Hospital.

Emiko nodded. "I start tomorrow. I'll be given easy tasks at first, according to Shizune-san, but she said as time progresses and I get better and better at healing, I can move up to bigger and better things – possibly even acting as a medical-nin on missions!" Her eyes shone with a mix of joy and determination as her grin grew.

Iruka chuckled and said, "Well, that's great! And, it looks as if we're neighbors."

Emiko stared. It took a few moments before revelation flooded throughout her, too. "Oh! You live next door?"

"Yeah."

"Great!" Emiko hoisted the boxes back up into her arms. "Well, I've gotta finished moving everything inside and unpacking. How's about I make something here and you come over for dinner? I promised those three I'd cook up something in addition to paying them. Mind you, it'll take a good three hours."

"Sounds like a plan," Iruka said. "See you then!" Emiko smiled warmly, and proceeded to carry the boxes into the house.

Iruka entered his own home and closed the door, hearing Emiko shout, "Be careful with that love seat, you two! It was my mothers!" He chuckled, thinking, _'Life is about to become very interesting indeed.'_

_----------_

**A/N:** Hope you liked chapter 4! Chapter 5 is on it's way, so get ready!

**In the next chapter:** Trouble at the academy – two students brawl, and Iruka steps in to break it up… and gets hurt in the process! Who heals him, I wonder? And Tsunade relays information gathered by the graveyard guards to Iruka.


End file.
